Sparta was a major city-state in ancient Greece, located on the southern part of the Peloponnese. The history of Sparta has fascinated scholars and non-academics for many years, especially in regards to their military prowess.
To understand the history of Sparta, one must first understand her people and their social system. Her history is fundamentally based on the class struggle between the helots and the Perioikoi, who were two of the three classes.
The helots’ social status is not expressed adequately by any contemporary phrase, but ‘state-serf’ it probably the closest that comes to mind. Either way, the helots’ made up the majority of the Spartan population, but ultimately remained the property of the state (Talbert, p.23), although the State could release them when it so desired. Scholars are still in debate as to what social and community life they had, but it is generally accepted among academics that they could hold property in their own right and practice marriage.
The Perioikoi were a higher class than the helots’ and it is generally accepted among scholars that they devoted themselves to trade and industry. They were dependant on agriculture as the basis of their lots, which the helots’ worked on for them. V. Ehrenberg writes: "The common view that the Perioikoi carried the burden of trade and crafts must, to a large extent, be modified. Sparta's foreign trade was small, crafts were mainly domestic and dependent on helot labour. The perioikoi were 'yeomen' who naturally went in for some local crafts and petty business" (Ridley, p.282-283).
The Spartiates were the ruling class of Sparta. Elite Spartiates not only avidly sought monetary enrichment through political activity and dealt in terms of coined money abroad, but they maintained stocks of precious metals (in coins and bullion) hidden within their oikoi (Figueira, p.67). As the controllers of most assets in the local economy, the Spartiates had the most to gain from greater efficiency among their sources for goods and services.
From the age of seven the Spartan male was directed in a group with others of his age-class and was thrown into a painstaking discipline of a comprehensive state education, as well as a process of socialization.
We can see the general attitude between the Perioikoi and the helots’ through the writings of Myron of Eleutherae, an Athenian sculptor. He states that "they impose on the helots every kind of insulting work which leads to total degradation. For they made it a requirement that each should wear a dogskin cap and be dressed in leather as well as receive a fixed number of lashes annually - without reference to any offence - so that they should never forget to behave like slaves. Moreover, if the physical well-being of any surpassed the usual appearance of slaves, they prescribed a death sentence and also a penalty for owners who failed to curb those putting on weight” (Talbert, p.36). There are several other examples which convey this same general feeling between the two class systems.
We know that the helots’ served in the army in various capacities from archaeological and literary sources. The first reliable source comes from the 5th century BCE when the helots’ accompanied King Cleomenes’ against Argos in 494 BCE and then again at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 against the Persians. It has even been mentioned by later Greek writers that helots or ex-helots were appointed as military governors abroad (Talbert, p.26).
Sparta had a duel government system – both a military oligarchy and a monarchy rolled into one, and was able to keep its monarchy unlike city-states such as Athens. The two kings of Sparta, from the Agiad and Eurypontids families, were believed to have been descended from the legendary Hercules. Between the two kings and the 28 nobles who had completed their military duties, they made the political decisions for the state.
The decline and fall of Sparta were due to several reasons - the tensions and inequalities between the Spartiate group, the pursuit of foreign overambitious policies and a devastating earthquake all contributed, leading to the disestablishment of the state in 195 BCE.
Bibliography:
Cartledge, Paul (1977) Hoplites and Heroes: Sparta’s Contributions to the Technique of Ancient Warfare, The Journal of Hellenic Studies, The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies.
Figueira, Thomas J. (2003) Xenelasia and Social Control in Classical Sparta, The Classical Quartley, Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association.
Ridley, R. T. (1974) The economic Activities of the Perioikoi, Mnemosyne, BRILL.
Talbert, Richard J. A. (1989) The Role of the Helots in the Class Struggle at Sparta, Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschicht, Franz Steiner Verlag.
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